Four refugees drown in Black Sea

At least four refugees drowned and 15 others were reported missing on Friday when their boat capsized off the Turkish coast in the Black Sea.

Thirty-eight refugees were rescued, the Turkish Coast Guard said.

The refugees had departed from Kefken in Turkey's Marmara province, but their destination was not known, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Black Sea has become the new route for refugees trying to reach European countries as the Aegean Sea route has become difficult for them to cross after Turkey and the European Union inked a deal last March on stemming the flow of migrants.

According to Turkish Coast Guard data, a total of 14,632 refugees were intercepted this year in both the Aegean and Black Seas.

In August the figure was 2,669, up from 1,603 over the same period last year.